When First We Meet
by rooster dawn
Summary: Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 1 we met in a rose garden**

0830 hours

11 August 1996

Harm's Office

Harm was sitting in his office wondering what life had in stored for him. He had been in a state of depression for the last four months. The woman he was planning to spend the rest of his life with had been killed in a senseless murder four months ago.

They were going to get together and go away for a week to talk about a possible future together. A future that Harm had hoped would be for the rest of their lives. But it was not to be the case.

It had been a senseless killing. She had been killed because her CO hadn't acted on her sexual harassment complaint. He hadn't taken the proper precautions to hold the accuse sailor in his quarters until after she had gone.

Then a few weeks later his partner, Lieutenant Meg Austin, had requested a transfer without conferring to him. She had left while he was away on leave visiting his mother. He needed to talk to someone who loved him about Diane's death.

Why did Meg have to leave when he needed her the most? She had a way of keeping him on his toes. She made him laugh. They had gotten pretty close over the last year. She would have been a good friend to talk to about the pain of losing Diane.

Did she leave because of him or something he did? Had she developed feelings for him that he had been unaware of? She did try hard to please him most of the time. Was it because he was in love with Diane?

Earlier this morning the Admiral had called him into his office to give him some good news. First the Admiral told him that he was being awarded the Distinguish Flying Cross for saving the CAG's life last fall.

A year ago Harm had been investigating the disappearance of a woman RIO. She had made history of being the first woman in combat to shoot down a plane. He hadn't flown in five years. He didn't even wear his wings anymore.

But that day the CAG needed someone in the back seat while he flew a sortie to get information about where the Serb artillery was located. He jumped at the chance to get back into a tomcat. The only bad thing was, the sortie was at night.

He wasn't allowed to fly at night anymore, night blindness. Night blindness, it was the cause of his ramp strike that had killed his RIO five years ago. Everything wasn't going well until the return flight, the CAG was injured badly.

He had to take over and land the plane at night. He was scared, but he had to save the CAG. The CAG was a good friend of his father who had been shot down in Viet Nam. There was no way he was going to fail and let the CAG die.

The second piece of information that the Admiral gave him was, he was getting a new partner, a marine major. Just what he needed he thought, a jarhead. He was probably a short bald headed fat old guy with breath of stale beer and sausage.

He probably had tattoos all over his body. He probably chewed tobacco and spat all over everything. Could his life get any worse. One thing he knew for sure, the marine would be pig headed and hard to work with unlike Meg who was perfect.

0900 hours

Aboard a military hop

Major Sarah MacKenzie was leaning back in her seat reading a file on Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. She had been pulled off a double murder trial to come to Washington DC. She was a little upset.

This was the type of trial that could make your career. Instead she was being assigned to work with a Harmon Rabb Jr, a hotshot lawyer who was a former naval aviator. He had all the makings of the new Navy poster boy.

He was being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving the life of Captain Tom Boone, the CAG of the Seahawk. Harmon Rabb hadn't flown a tomcat in five years since he had a ramp strike while landing the plane due to night blindness.

It seemed that not only did he land the plane in the dark, but also from the back seat, something that is rarely done particularly during war time conditions. It seemed he was flying a tomcat usually reserved for training pilots.

He seemed larger than life to Sarah. He was six foot four inches tall with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He appeared to be what every woman's idea of what a real man was supposed to be.

He must be the Navy's poster boy if everything she was reading here was true. However he was more than likely to be someone's embellishment of an okay guy. Someone the Navy was trying to pump up and make into a hero. The Navy always needed their heroes.

She closed the file and wondered why she had been pulled from her case. She was prosecuting a double murder case. What was so important that they needed her? She was sure they didn't need her language skills. Even squidlets knew how to say Red Light.

She hoped it wasn't for some publicity stunt like having a marine and a squid working together or was it because he wasn't a bad looking man and she was a good looking woman.

She could picture the headlines now in her mind. They could be the poster couple of Jag emphasizing teamwork between the Navy and the Marines.

She didn't want to think about all the captions that would follow afterwards. She closed her eyes to catch forty winks. She had gotten up very early this morning to make the flight to Washington DC. She was a little tire.

1000 hours

White House Rose Garden

An hour later her plane landed. She was met by a petty officer who took her to the White House Rose Garden. She was impress when she heard that Harmon Rabb was going to receive his DFC medal from the president of the United States himself.

That didn't happen very often. Usually awards were presented to you from your Commanding Officer. Since she had arrived late for the ceremony she decided to stand in the back of the audience during the ceremony so she wouldn't disturb the festivities.

As she waited for the Admiral and Commander Rabb after the ceremony she walked around the White House Rose Garden. She was very impressed. She loved roses and in the White House Rose Garden there were many different varieties and colors of roses.

She stood there for a moment and dreamt about meeting the man of her dreams in a rose garden like this. She had been having that dream ever since she was a little girl of six. She heard footsteps heading her way. It brought her out of her daydream.

As she turned around she saw three men walking towards her. Two were quite tall and the last one a short dumpy man. He looked like an ice cream vendor at the ballpark. She laughed silently to herself at that thought.

She stood at attention as they approached her. She could see that the first man was Admiral A.J. Chegwidden, the man she was supposed to report to. The next one was a little taller. He must be her new partner Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.

God, her friend Joyce wasn't lying to her when she told her how gorgeous Harmon was. In fact she hadn't done him justice. Her heart began to beat a little faster as he came closer. She tried to hold her breath in an effort to control her breathing. She could feel her knees beginning to weaken.

The third man was a short dumpy looking man. He appeared to look like a clown to her. He had no military presence at all. She wondered how this little man ever became an officer. The three officers came to a stop in front of her.

"As you were Major. Major Sarah MacKenzie, I would like you to meet Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr., your new partner." said the Admiral.

As Sarah reached out her hand to shake hands with Harmon, she felt her knees shaking. Her heart was beating faster. She hope that he wouldn't notice how nervous she was, but all he did was stand there staring at her.

He was gazing into her eyes as though he was looking deep into her soul, looking for the connection that bound them as one being. It was if he had known her, her whole life. Were they meant to be together?

She could believe that his eyes were the bluest of blue. He was so tall. Finally a man she could really look up to. All the other men she had ever worked with were short. They all wanted to date her but none of them ever measured up.

When he didn't respond she began to lower her hand.

Harmon meanwhile was in a state of shock. It couldn't be. Diane was dead. She couldn't be standing here in front of him. She looked so much like Diane, but she was in a marine uniform. Still she did look good in marine green. She's so beautiful.

He was falling in love all over again. Then he realized he was acting like an idiot. She had said something to him that he didn't even hear. He reached out and took her hand. It was very soft and feminine for a marine, but her handshake was firm.

"Do you two know each other?" asked the Admiral as he watched Harm stare with recognition of the Major.

"No Sir." replied Sarah.

"Yes Sir." replied Harm at the same time.

Sarah looked at him with a puzzled look. What does he mean he knows me? I'm sure that if I had ever met someone as gorgeous as Harmon I would remember him. He must be mistaken.

"Sorry Sir. The Major only looks like someone I use to know." apologized Harm.

"Well don't get too close, you two have to work together." declared the Admiral.

"You can call me Sarah." offered Sarah.

"You can call me Harm." replied Harm.

Sarah ignored Bud except when they were ready to get into the sedan. She couldn't believe Bud didn't remember the proper protocol of entering a vehicle. What a buffoon. They all got into the sedan and went to Jag.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 2 The dance begins**

1200 hours

JAG Headquarters

They arrived at headquarters twenty minutes later. It was a small enclosed compound of several buildings guarded by a company of marines. Historic was Sarah's first thought.

They were to meet with Clayton Webb when they got to JAG Headquarters. He was waiting for them in the Admiral's office. He briefed them on their assignment. They were to recover a stolen document, the Declaration of Independence from a Colonel Matthew O'Hara.

Sarah was a little stunned. Now she knew why she had been pulled from her double murder case. They were expecting her to find and lead them to her Uncle Matt. Webb had the look of CIA or some other spy network. The title that he gave them had to be a cover.

Somehow she knew she had to find her uncle by herself and convinced him to return the document. She didn't want him to get hurt or killed. She knew the CIA didn't care if her uncle lived or died. They had been embarrassed.

Uncle Matt, why in the world would you do something like this she wondered? Why couldn't you have retired somewhere and forget about the troubles of the world?

1230 hours

Harm's Apartment

Harm and Sarah had a flight out to Arizona in two hours. Harm took Sarah over to the BOQ to get her a room and pack a bag for their trip. She packed an extra uniform, some undergarments and some civvies for a couple of days.

Then they went over to Harm's residence. When they arrived at his place Sarah shook her head, she was aghast. The building looked like an abandon warehouse. What person in his right mind would want to live here? The area was definitely depressed.

They walked into the building to his apartment. It was even worse. Sarah was shock to say the least. What a pigsty. She shook her head again. All good things had to come to an end sometime. The man that she had thought was perfect wasn't that perfect after all.

"Nice decorum Harmon. What do they call this, early disaster?" asked Sarah as she started to giggle.

"No. I just recently moved in here. My last place was shot up while I was protecting an ambassador's wife. The landlord gave me a break in the rent if I fixed the place up myself." replied Harm.

"Couldn't you hire someone to come in here and do it for you. It would be much easier and quicker if you did." asked a perplexed Sarah.

"I could do that, but I like doing things myself. I like working with my hands." replied Harm as he smiled.

"Do I need to give you a red light Commander?" kidded a bemused Sarah.

"What? No. I meant I like to use tools to do work around the house." responded a surprised Harm.

Where did that come from Harm thought to himself? She does seem to have a wry sense of humor. She thinks quickly on her feet. Just maybe this could work out thought Harm. She more than just a pretty face.

"When did you learn how to do all this?" asked an interested Sarah.

Not only is he good looking and smart, but also he knows how to work around the house. He definitely is a find. I'm going to have to get to know him a lot better thought Sarah. He's definitely someone I wouldn't mind having in my life everyday.

"A few years ago I crash my tomcat in a ramp strike. I was very seriously injured. During my recovery I spent a lot of time on my Grandmother's farm. There was an old Stearman bi-plane my father and I were going to rebuild when he came back from Viet Nam, but he never came back.

At first I didn't want anything to do with it. It reminded me that I wouldn't be flying jets anymore. Later I learn about how to do the work and developed my skills as a tradesman.

It also was good therapy for me as I came to grips that I wouldn't be a naval aviator anymore. It gave me time to figure out whether or not I wanted to stay in the Navy and what to do about my career." explained Harm.

"So you don't fly anymore?" asked Sarah.

"No, not on a regular basis anymore. I've only flown a few times since last year, usually when I'm investigating a mishap involving jets." replied Harm.

"What did you fly?" asked Sarah curiously.

"Tomcats!" replied Harm with a sense of pride as his chest thrust out.

"This is an interesting use of a refrigerator." observed Sarah as she looked inside for something cold to drink.

"A cooler inside a refrigerator with ice to keep things cold. You could just plug it in."

"I haven't had the chance to wire the electrical outlets yet. It's my next task." smiled Harm.

He hadn't felt this comfortable talking with a woman since Diane's death. Sarah was everything that Diane was and more. Diane had been a special woman in his life, but somehow Sarah promised to be so much more.

Not only did she have Diane's beauty, intelligence, and wit, but she had a sense of strength and power, that is she was in total control. He was going to have to earn everything he got from her. He was going to enjoy getting to know her. He then heard her stomach growling.

"Are you going to feed me before we get on the plane for Arizona?" asked Sarah as she grabbed a couple of drinks.

"I supposed I could if I have something in the cooler." smiled Harm.

"Well there's not much in here." replied Sarah.

"Maybe we should stop somewhere on the way to the airport. Okay Sarah, what would you like to eat." asked Harm. It was time to be charming.

"A juicy hamburger and some hot greasy fries would taste pretty good right about now." replied Sarah."

"You eat dead cow? Ugh!" replied Harm as he pretended to put a disgusted look on his face. "But if that's what you want I do know a place we can stop at."

"What? I'm a Marine, we need to eat raw meat two or three times a day." she replied a little amused at his antics.

Harm took her Beltway Burgers and Sarah was in cow heaven. She grabbed two beltway burgers and a large order of fries. Harm grabbed a chicken sandwich and a salad. He shook his head in amazement as she devoured the food in front of her.

"I see you like the food." commented Harm.

"It's been over eight hours since I last ate. I had to grab a very early flight this morning. This place is great Harm. Thank you so much." replied Sarah as she gave him one of her best smiles.

Harm almost fell out of his chair when he saw her smile. Wow! She is so beautiful. How am I supposed to work with her without falling in love with her. Her eyes are so expressive. It's like they communicate everything she's thinking.

A short while later they were on the plane flying back to Arizona. Sarah had fallen asleep. It was her second long airplane ride of the day and she was tired. As she slept her head slumped over onto Harm's shoulder.

Harm looked over and smiled. Boy did she look beautiful sleeping there. He lifted his arm up so she could rest her head on his chest. He then wrapped his arm around her. He knew he shouldn't do so while they were in uniform, but she would be more comfortable.

A stewardess stopped by and asked him if she could get him or his wife anything. Boy did he wish she was his wife. What was he thinking? He had just met Sarah. He didn't know anything about her.

He had to put thoughts like that out of his mind for now. He had a job to do. She was his partner, not some woman to wine and dine before getting her into his bed. Let's just take one step at a time.

Several hours later they landed in Arizona. As they were landing Sarah woke up. She was a little embarrassed to find her head lying on Harm's chest, but Harm just smiled and said no problem.

They met up with Webb and his cronies. Webb took them out to the hijack site where the document was stolen. They were examining a mail truck that had been carrying the document.

Webb was going up in a helicopter to check the surrounding area for any signs of Colonel O'Hara and his men. Harm was going to join him while Sarah drove to the military base to talk to the base commander.

When Harm saw her going the wrong way he suspected something was amiss. He got out of the helicopter and got into the car with Sarah. She was surprised to see him there. She thought they could conduct the investigation quicker if they split up.

"Where are you going Sarah?" asked Harm warily.

"To the base Harm." replied Sarah.

"The base is the other way Sarah. Where are you really going?" asked Harm.

"I must have gotten turned around Harm, not enough sleep." responded an unsure Sarah.

"Not likely marine, what's the real story?" demanded Harm.

"I don't think he will be at the base." replied Sarah

"Who Sarah?" asked Harm.

"Colonel O'Hara, Harm. The Colonel is retired from the marines. There's a place he's been known to hang out at. That's where I was headed." replied Sarah.

"Then I'm going with you." demanded Harm.

"I think this is something I should to do alone Commander. The Colonel knows me. He doesn't know you. You could get hurt." replied Sarah as she tried to talk Harm out of going with her.

She thought she could talk her uncle into giving her the document if she was alone, but if someone was with her, her uncle might react negatively and someone could get hurt.

"Why is that Sarah?" asked Harm.

"He's a Marine Colonel." she replied.

"And I'm a Navy Commander" replied Harm.

"Don't say I didn't warn you Commander." replied Sarah. She wasn't interested in debating the issue with Harm. She could tell that he was too stubborn to give in to her.

"Who is the Colonel to you Sarah?" asked Harm.

"He's my uncle, Harm. The most important person in my life." she relented.

They drove for a couple of hours before they came to a small town. They stopped at a gas station to get some gas. Sarah went into the station to freshen up and change her clothes while Harm arranged to rent a truck from the gas station attendant.

"I think we should change vehicles." Harm told Sarah.

"Why Harm?" asked Sarah.

"I don't trust Webb. I think he may have hidden a tracking device somewhere in the car. I don't want to take a chance. I don't want him to know where we are going. He'll probably screw things up." replied a concerned Harm.

"Why do you say that?" asked Sarah.

"Moving the document by mail was probably his idea, and you see where that got him." replied Harm.

"What are we going to do?" asked Sarah.

"I've arranged with the attendant to rent his truck." replied Harm smiling.

Sarah took one look at the truck and shook her head.

"What is it with you and old cruddy things Harm? Will this thing even run?" asked Sarah.

"The attendant assures me it will. We can tell the Colonel that I'm your boyfriend. We were out camping when we heard the news about what he did and you wanted to see him. See Sarah, there's even a bed in the back of the truck." Harm smiled his famous flyboy smile.

"In your dreams flyboy. So are you going to feed me before we go, I'm hungry." Sarah replied half smiling.

"Yeah, I guess we can stop and get something to eat. I fed you before we left. Are you always this hungry Sarah?" asked Harm.

"That was over seven hours ago Harm. Only when I'm not fed on a regular timetable. And today has not been a normal day for me." chuckled Sarah.

As they drove along the road to Red Rock Mesa, Harm kept staring at Sarah. She was becoming a little uneasy.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that Harm?" asked Sarah.

"I keep forgetting you're not her." Harm replied sadly.

"The one who wasn't a marine?" asked a concerned Sarah.

"She only looked like you and talked like you, but I'm not sure about the smile. You haven't really smiled for me yet." smiled Harm.

"I'm sure that smile of yours usually gets you what you want with navy squidlets, but it has no effect on me. I'm a marine. We're immune to the charms of navy squids." replied a determine Sarah.

"Besides I been too busy and tired to smile. It's been a very long day." It's taking all my self resolve not to pull over and ravage you right here thought Sarah. He's so gorgeous and it seems like he's a really caring person.

"I'm not trying to charm you Sarah. I'm only trying to understand and get to know you better." replied Harm.

"It sounds like I have a twin out there." answered Sarah.

"Not anymore." replied a rejected Harm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 3 Where did you meet your sailor**

After driving for a couple hours more they came to an old billboard. They stopped and got out. There wasn't much to see. The town that had been there when Sarah was growing up was deserted and in ruins.

"There use to be a small town here when I was growing up. Over there is Red Rock Mesa. Uncle Matt is probably up there." Sarah said while pointing to Red Rock Mesa.

"It's beautiful here Sarah. How come you used to come here?" asked Harm.

"Uncle Matt used to take me hunting for dinosaur tracks. We would find a few. We would make up stories about what they were doing. How are we going to get up there Harm?" asked Sarah.

"We could signal him with the headlights of the truck." replied Harm.

"How are you going to do that?" asked Sarah.

"Morse Code, Sarah. You flash the lights long and short for dots and dashes." smiled Harm.

"Good thinking there flyboy." as Sarah gave him a small smile.

After they tried signaling her uncle off and on for thirty minutes they stopped. They didn't want to kill the battery. They talked for another hour waiting for a response from her uncle, but none came.

It was getting pretty late and Sarah was getting sleepy. Harm notice that she was beginning to nod off.

"Why don't you go inside and get some sleep. I don't think your uncle is coming tonight." suggested Harm.

"What are you going to do?" asked Sarah.

"I'll grab a blanket and sleep out here under the stars." replied Harm. He didn't know how comfortable she would be sleeping that close to him.

"Don't be silly Harm. It gets pretty cold out in the desert at night. Besides there's enough room inside the bed of the truck for two people as long as you stay on your side of the bed." smiled Sarah.

"Ok Sarah. I'll come inside and sleep since it's okay with you." responded Harm.

"Anyway if Uncle Matt does happen to decide to come and visit us during the night your plan would be more believable, the one about you being my boyfriend, if he sees you sleeping inside with me. If you're sleeping outside he probably won't believe you're my boyfriend." replied Sarah.

She liked the idea of sleeping next to Harm. Maybe, just maybe if she wish real hard, her dreams might come true. It didn't take long before Sarah fell asleep. She dreamt about Harm. She dreamt that they dated and fell in love. They got married and had a couple of kids.

It took Harm a little longer to fall asleep. He couldn't help looking at Sarah sleeping there beside him. She reminded him so much of Diane, but he knew she wasn't her. He knew one thing though, he could easily fall in love with her if she gave him half the chance.

When Harm finally fell asleep he had the first pleasant dream since before Diane was killed. He fell asleep with a smile on his face. He dreamt of making love to Sarah, to falling in love, and getting married.

Harm and Sarah woke up the next morning to the sound of someone banging on the window of the truck. Sometime during the night Sarah had rolled over and was now lying with her head and arm on Harm's chest.

Harm's arms were wrapped around her. Harm smiled at her when he saw her lying there looking up at him. Sarah realizing where she was and blushed. She was slightly embarrassed to find herself in his arms and her head on his chest. She gave him a small rap as she got up off him.

"Couldn't keep your hands off me flyboy?" joked Sarah as she got up.

"What are you talking about. You're the one who rolled over on top of me and took advantage of my good nature." replied Harm as he took a hold one of her hands.

"Yeah right. In your dreams flyboy. We both know you pulled me over on top of you. After all you are a squid." laughed Sarah.

"You're a funny girl marine." replied Harm as he let go of her.

"Yep, that's me, a funny girl. Time to get up flyboy. We have company." ordered Sarah.

They got up and got out of the truck. They saw her uncle and a few of his men. He was surprise to see her there. The last thing he had heard she was in L.A. Mac went over to give him a hug.

"Sarah, what are you doing here?" asked her uncle.

"We were on a camping trip. When I heard about you on the radio. I thought I would come and visit you." replied Sarah.

"Who's your friend Sarah?" asked her uncle.

"He's my boyfriend, Harmon Rabb." smiled Sarah as she wrapped her arm around Harm's arm and gave her uncle a big happy smile.

"Harmon Rabb, what is it that you do?" asked her uncle as he shook Harm's hand.

"I'm a commander in the navy Sir. I'm a lawyer like Sarah." replied Harm with a smile.

"A squid Sarah? I thought I taught you better then that. Where did you meet your sailor Sarah?" asked her uncle smiling. He couldn't blame her.

He could see that Harm must be someone very special. He was quite tall and good looking. He knew Sarah didn't trust too many men after being abused by her father growing up. She was absolutely glowing right now.

"I met him in a rose garden Uncle Matt." replied Sarah.

She had shared her dream of meeting the man she was going to marry with her uncle many times. He knew the significance of where she met Harm.

"Hymmmm ... Let's go Sarah. We'll talk about it later." said an interested looking uncle.

Before Uncle Matt got into the helicopter he turned to one of the men. He told him to take the truck into town and get Father O'Malley. The helicopter then flew them all to the top of Red Rock Mesa.

Uncle Matt talked with Harm and Sarah for a while before going off to tend to some business. An hour later he returned with a sheet of paper. He had Harm and Sarah fill it out. Twenty minutes later he returned with another man.

"What are you really doing here Sarah?" asked her uncle.

"What do you mean Uncle Matt? I told you, we are on vacation. I was camping with my boyfriend when we heard about you. I figured that you would be here. So I decided to come see you and introduce you to my boyfriend. You are the only family I have." replied Sarah sadly.

Her mother had abandoned her when she was fifteen. She had gotten away from her abusive father as soon as she was able two years later.

Uncle Matt turned around and asked "Is that right Commander?"

"Yes Sir. I love your niece." replied Harm with a smile that lit up the sky.

He felt a little uneasy inside with this lie they were pushing on Sarah's uncle. Harm was afraid it would blow up in their faces if her uncle didn't believe them.

"Then you don't mind then that Father O'Malley marries the two of you today." asked her uncle.

"In my day a man didn't sleep with a woman unless they were married. The position I saw you two in this morning ... well let's just say Commander you need to do the honorable thing. And I won't take no for an answer. Have I made myself clear Commander?"

"Yes Sir." replied Harm as his knees shook.

Harm looked stunned. What was he going to do? He looked over at Sarah. She gave him a look that said 'Do you know what you're doing? Are you crazy? You don't have to do this.' He looked back at her saying 'It's okay Sarah.'

Now it was Uncle Matt's turned to look stun. It looked to him like they were carrying on a conversation between them, but neither one of them was saying a word. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe they really were in love with each other.

He thought with the pressure of getting married they would cave and tell him why they were really there. But maybe this was what true love was all about. It had been a long time since he'd seen this kind of love, his Besty who died fifteen years ago.

"Could you excuse us for a moment Uncle Matt. I need to talk to Harmon." asked Sarah.

"Okay Sarah. I'll give you fifteen minutes to talk with him before I return." replied her uncle.

Uncle Matt and Father O'Malley left Harm and Sarah alone to talk. They had never seen anything like it before. The nonverbal communication was something to behold. They went out and got a cup of coffee. After they left Sarah turned and looked at Harm.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing Harm? You can say no if you want. I'm sure he won't do anything to you if you refuse to marry me." said Sarah with a look of sadness in her eyes.

"We came here to do a job Sarah, to retrieve the Declaration of Independence from him. If marrying you will help us accomplished the job then I'll do it without thinking twice." replied a very serious Harm.

"Okay Harm, as long as you're okay with this. I would understand though if you don't want to marry me." replied Sarah.

She wanted to marry Harm so much. It would be a dream come true though she would have like it to have been done in a church. Of course she would have loved to have more time to get to know him better first.

"Yes Sarah, I'm okay with it." smiled Harm.

"Are you two ready?" asked her uncle after he returned.

"We don't have any rings." responded Sarah wishfully.

"I took care of that before I came out here." replied Father O'Malley.

Once again Sarah gave Harm a look of "I tried." and he looked back as "Oh well".

Father O'Malley conducted a small wedding service. When he completed the wedding he told Harm he could kiss Sarah. Harm hesitated at first but then went ahead and kissed her. Wow! Harm said to himself as the kiss deepen.

She kisses so much better then Diane. And it feels so good to have her in my arms. Meanwhile Sarah was thinking Wow! He's a better kisser then I could ever imagine. I think I felt my knees start to buckle there for a second.

Uncle Matt coughed to get them to separate.

"Do I have to throw cold water on you two. Here Sarah, I have a present for you." her uncle told her with a smile.

"What is it Uncle Matt?" asked Sarah pretending to be surprised.

"It's the Declaration of Independence. It's what you really came here for." laughed her uncle.

"Thank you Uncle Matt. You're coming back with us aren't you?" Sarah pleaded with her eyes.

"No Sarah. I don't plan on spending the rest of my life in Leavenworth. I got my point across to the American people and the government. It's time for me to move on. Come on I'll take you back to your truck." ordered her uncle.

"Take good care of my niece Commander."

"You have my word on that Sir." replied Harm

Later that afternoon Harm and Sarah met up with Webb. Webb was shock to see that Sarah had recovered the document without his help, but was happy to see that they had completed the mission. He also noticed the rings on their fingers.

"How did you manage to get the document Major?" asked Webb slyly.

"Unlike you Webb I'm a marine, I know what I'm doing. I know how to get things done." smiled Sarah as she gave Webb a well deserved dig.

"Where's the Colonel? I would have thought that you would have returned with him." asked a puzzled Webb. He hated leaving loose ends, especially people who embarrass him. He liked things neatly tied up.

"He's gone Webb. Besides you don't really need him. You have what you really wanted, the document." replied Sarah. She didn't want to go into details why her uncle was still on the loose.

"That's true Major. I have what I really want." asked Webb.

"By the way Major you want to tell me about the rings on your hands. You didn't decide to get married why you were gone. I've heard that Rabb was a fast worker, but this is even fast for him." Sarah was about to say something but Harm interrupted.

"We were role playing Webb. We didn't want the Colonel to be suspicious, so we pretended to be married."

Webb smiled "Ok Rabb, I believe you. Good job Major, Commander."


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 4 What you see isn't what's really there**

Several hours later they were back on a plane to Washington DC. It was another long flight. They both fell asleep after they were served dinner. Sarah wrapped her arms around Harm's arm with her head resting on his shoulder. She had a smile on her face.

The attendant smiled. Yesterday she had asked the Commander if she could get anything for he and his wife. He had told her that the woman wasn't his wife. But now she saw the smile and the ring on Sarah's finger. They must have gotten married yesterday.

2100 hours

Harm's Residence

Harm and Sarah arrived back late at his place. They had stopped off at the BOQ first. Harm was going to leave her there. It was late and they both were tired, but Sarah insisted that she wanted to go to his place.

She wanted to stay with Harm. He didn't understand why, but in the end he relented. They picked up all her stuff and went to his place. Harm was quite surprised that she didn't want to stay at the BOQ until she found a place of her own.

It wasn't much, but it was better than what he had to offer. His place was in the process of being renovated. It was a disaster area, but she had told him that she wanted to stay at his place.

"Are you sure you want to stay with me, Sarah? The BOQ rooms are so much nicer then my place." asked a concerned Harm.

"I'm sure the BOQ rooms are nice Harmon. And I'm sure I want to stay with you at your place. Why Harmon, are you trying to get rid of me?" replied Sarah flirting.

"No, It's not that per se. It's just my place is such a mess. You said so yourself just yesterday." answered Harm.

He didn't know what to think. He hardly knew Sarah. Is this something she really wanted? Why does she want to stay here? He thought.

"I'm sure it still is, but it will get fixed up much quicker if I'm there." smiled Sarah.

"You know how to electrical work?" laughed Harm.

"No, but I'm sure it will get done sooner if I'm living there. You won't keep putting it off." smiled Sarah.

She wasn't going to be denied. After all they were married. Her place was with her husband now. As a Marine she had lived in worst conditions. She might not have liked the manner in which they got married, but she was sure she was where she was meant to be.

"That may be so Sarah, but the place is still a mess. You deserve so much better." replied Harm with reservation.

"In case you've forgotten Harmon, we're married now. Where you are, that's where I'll be." replied Sarah with as much warmth as she could muster.

"Are you sure that's what you want Sarah?" asked Harm.

"Harmon Rabb Jr, we haven't been married one day and you're trying to get rid of me." Sarah pretended to be hurt.

"That's not it Sarah. It's just we were forced into this marriage." Harm apologized for his comment.

"I wasn't forced into doing anything I didn't want to do Harm. Remember when Uncle Matt asked me where I met you?" asked Sarah.

"Yeah, You told him you met me in a rose garden." replied a perplexed Harm.

"That's right Harm. After high school while I was drying out, my uncle asked me what I wanted to do with my life, what my dreams were. I told him that I was going to college and then join the marines. Then I was going to meet the man of my dreams in a rose garden and get married." smiled Sarah.

"And he took that to mean you wanted to marry me." replied Harm.

"Not exactly, but he knew that you were the man of my dreams. The man I would marry in time. So he decided to expedite the process and marry us. Since I believe in the vows that I shared with you I'm going to stay here with you and make it work. Unless of course you don't want to be married to me Harm." replied Sarah as a very sad look came across her face.

"I didn't say that Sarah. I guess I'm still a little stun. I don't know which end is up." replied a confused Harm.

"It's okay Harm. I was a little blown away myself when Uncle Matt had the priest there to marry us. But if we take it slow and take the time to get to know each other, I think we'll be okay." smiled Sarah.

She hoped Harm agreed with her. She hoped that he would be willing to try and make their marriage work.

"Okay Sarah, if that's what you really want, but I think we better keep it quiet for now. The fewer people that know we're married the better. And as soon as I am finished fixing this place up we should think about looking into getting a house." replied Harm.

"Well I don't know anyone to tell. By the way why do we need a house Harm? I think this place will be pretty nice once you get it fixed up." asked Sarah.

"Well if we're going to have a family some day we're going to need more room. Besides we can probably justify sharing a house a lot easier to the Admiral than sharing an apartment." laughed Harm.

"I think I'm going to fall in love with you real easy Harmon Rabb." smiled Sarah as she put her arms around Harm's neck.

"Me too Sarah." as Harm put his arms around her waist to pull her close for a kiss.

They spent the weekend working on the loft. It was a lot of hard work, but they got a lot done. They figured it would take another month to get everything taken care of. The following Monday they reported to work at Jag.

"Good work Commander, Major. I see that you took care of Webb's little problem without too much difficulty." the Admiral commented with satisfaction.

"Yes Sir, we did, but the Major deserves most of the credit. She was more familiar with the Colonel and knew where to find him."

replied Harm.

"I noticed you two came in together Commander. Did you pick her up at the BOQ." asked the Admiral.

"No Sir. She's staying at my place until she finds a place of her own." replied Harm.

"What's wrong with you Commander? Don't you know how that looks?" asked the Admiral.

"Sir, it was my idea. I thought since we would be working on cases together it would make sense that I stay with him. We would be able to spend more time working on the cases together if I didn't have to return to the BOQ at night." responded a hopeful Sarah.

"I'm sure that's very commendable of you Major, but I was thinking about his place. It's such a mess. You shouldn't have to deal with it." the Admiral laughed.

"I know it a bit of a mess Sir, but since I'm new in town, I don't know where anything is. Where the best stores are, where the better restaurants are, and anything else I might need?" Sarah explained.

"Are you sure Major?" asked the Admiral.

"Yes Sir. I can also keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble too. I heard from Mr. Roberts that it was a full time occupation." smiled Sarah.

"You're right about that. His last partner got tired of doing that and left JAG. It was too much for her to handle." laughed the Admiral.

"Not a problem for a marine Sir. I'll have him squared away in no time." smiled Sarah.

"Very well you two, dismiss." ordered the Admiral.

The Admiral laughed to himself as he imagined the Major keeping Harm in line. He had no doubts that if it was at all possible to keep Harm out of trouble, the Major was the person to do it.

Three weeks later Sarah was the defense attorney and Harm was the prosecutor for a difficult case. Harm wasn't doing too well so he tried to play a little trick on Sarah. As it turned out he ended up sandbagging her.

Or so Sarah thought, she was livid with him. How could he do that to her? He made her look like a fool in court. She thought he was finally starting to love her as much as she loved him. When they got home that night she put a pillow and some blankets out on the couch.

"What's wrong Sarah?" asked a perplexed Harm.

"What's wrong! You sandbagged me in court today. You made me look like a fool!" yelled an angry and hurt Sarah.

"No I didn't. You were looking to be led, so I led you in a different direction." replied Harm with a coy smile.

"Oh, is that what you call it. You're scum Harmon. You're sleeping out here on the couch tonight." replied a still angry Sarah.

"But Sarah, how can you learn to become a better a lawyer if you aren't exposed to some of the sneaky tricks of the trade. What goes on inside the courtroom has to be kept separate from outside of the courtroom." answered Harm pleading.

"I don't care. You shouldn't have made me look like a fool." sulked Sarah.

"I'm sorry about that Sarah. I didn't mean to, but we're going to have to learn to separate what goes on inside the courtroom and outside it. Otherwise we won't be able to do our jobs properly and to the best of our ability. It wouldn't be fair to our clients." counseled Harm.

"I understand what you're saying, and I know in my heart you're right, but I wasn't expecting you to sandbag me. I'm new around here. You're supposed to take it easy on me, take care of me. I forgive you this time, but you're still sleeping on the couch tonight." smiled Sarah as she kissed Harm good night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 5 Guess what happened to me**

A week later the Admiral assigned them a case at Miramar. During the week they investigated a mishap. One of the jets had developed some problems and crashed. Fortunately the pilots were able to eject safely. They needed to determine if was pilot error or mechanical.

When the weekend came Harm decided to take Sarah home with him to meet his mother and Frank. They live a few miles away from the base. As Harm and Sarah drove up to his parent's house Sarah let out a gasp. She couldn't believe what she saw.

"Is this where you grew up Harm? It's beautiful and it's so large." observed Sarah.

"No Sarah, I only lived here after my mother married Frank. I was only here for a few years before I entered the Academy. I never appreciated what I had when I was living here. I was so angry with Frank for marrying my mother. Now I can appreciate what he had done for my mother and me." replied Harm.

Trish and Frank were on the porch waiting to greet them when they arrived at the house. Harm had called them earlier telling them he was coming and that he had a surprise for them.

"Hello Mom, Frank." said Harm greeting his parents.

"Harm! It's so good to see you again. And this must be Sarah." respond Trish with a lot of sugar.

She was so happy to see her son. She didn't get to see him that often since he joined the Navy and was living on the other side of the country. Harm rarely came home anymore after he completed flight school.

"Mom, Frank, I would like you to meet someone who has become very special in my life. This is Sarah, ... my wife." Harm said to his shocked mother.

"What! You got married Harmon, why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you invite us to the wedding? I know I raised you better then that." asked a happy yet very disappointed Trish. Her baby had gotten married and she wasn't there to see it. She felt tears coming on.

"I'm sorry Mom. It sort of happens very suddenly and unexpectedly." replied Harm unsure if his mother could understand.

"Come here Sarah and give me a hug. Welcome to the family." responded a happy Trish with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Trish. It's nice to meet you and Frank. Harm has told me so much about you." replied Sarah.

She had been very worry that Harm's parents wouldn't like her. Harm had told her that they would love her. As usual he was right.

"It's nice to meet you too Sarah. We were beginning to give up hope that Harmon would ever get married. We thought he was going to become a life long bachelor. Married to the Navy as they say." teased Frank after giving Sarah a hug.

"Come on now Frank. That's not entirely true and you know it. Last year I talked to you about Diane. You suggested that I take her some place far away and secluded for a week to discuss our future together." responded Harm.

"Now that you mention it Harm, I do remember something about that. I'm sorry that you didn't get the chance to talk with her." replied Frank quietly.

He knew Harm took Diane's death very hard. He had talk to Harm about it many times over the phone since her death. He had been worried that Harm might be depress.

"Let's go around to the back of the house to the porch. It's such a beautiful day. It's too nice to be inside. We'll be in the shade and there is a nice breeze coming in off the ocean." ordered Trish.

"Who's Diane?" Sarah asked Harm curiously.

"Harm didn't tell you about her?" asked Trish slightly confused. How could they have gotten married without talking about their past loves.

"No. He did mention something about how I looked like someone, but she was dead now." replied Sarah.

"Diane was Harm's academy sweetheart. They dated while they were at the academy together, but they went their separate ways after graduation." started Frank.

"She helped Harm out after his ramp strike six years ago. Harm was hurt pretty bad physically and emotionally. She helped him come to grips with the idea he couldn't fly jets anymore. She helped him decide to become a lawyer." continued Trish.

"About five months ago they were going away to a cabin in the mountains of Maine to discuss their future together. She was killed the night before they were going to get together. Did Harm ever show you a picture of her?" continued Frank.

"No, he hasn't. I think he has everything of hers put away somewhere in his apartment. I don't think he could find anything right now, the apartment is quite a mess. We're renovating it." replied Sarah.

"You look exactly like her. You could be twins or at least sisters." finished Trish.

"We couldn't be twins, I'm much younger than Harm." smiled Sarah.

They all went out onto the back porch to sit and talk. Trish had lemonade and sandwiches there waiting for them. She had heard about Sarah's appetite from Harm. Sarah didn't disappoint as she finished off two sandwiches.

"Harmon, I'm very surprise to hear that you and Sarah got married. I wasn't aware that you knew her that well. You haven't told us much about her. I thought I knew all your friends." asked an inquiring Trish.

"That's because I only recently met her mom. We have been so busy fixing up my apartment when we're not working on cases. She's my new partner at Jag. She replaced Meg." replied Harm as he looked towards Sarah.

She was sitting there quietly with a peaceful smile on her face. She was enjoying seeing Harm being grilled by his mother. Now she knew why Harm was such a good lawyer. His mother was good and she knew what questions to ask.

"When did you meet Sarah?" asked Trish.

"Do you remember when I told you about receiving the DFC for saving Tom Boone's life." asked Harm.

"Yes. You got that about a month ago. Tom sent me a letter telling me how proud he was of you. You landed that tomcat in the middle of the night even though you hadn't flown a jet in over five years because you couldn't see at night." beamed Trish.

"Well I had been working for the last couple of months without a regular partner. When the Admiral assigned a special case to me, he decided that I needed a special partner." replied Harm.

"So that's when they assigned Sarah to you." asked Trish.

"Yes, and she's very special." smiled Harm.

"That's not entirely true Trish. I was assigned to the case with Harm because it involved my uncle. They thought I could lead them to him." rebutted Sarah.

"That's the case that involved the Declaration of Independence right?" asked Frank as he listened intently. He was very interested to understand how Sarah had captured his son's heart.

"Yes, my uncle stole the document. He wanted to get the attention of the people and the nation's leaders. The Admiral sent Harm and me after him." smiled Sarah.

"We needed a way to convince him we were there to join him." conveyed Harm.

"So Harm wanted to pretend that he was my boyfriend. My uncle sort of believed him." continued Sarah.

"That was when he found us together in the back of a pickup truck sleeping in each other's arms, I think he was upset to see me with her." a big grin came across Harm's face as he remembered.

"Harmon, I thought I taught you better then that." declared a surprised Trish.

"Mom, I'm not a child anymore, it's what adults do today." as Harm tried to defend himself.

"What happened next?" asked a curious Frank. He wanted to keep the story moving forward.

"My uncle asked me where I met my sailor. I told him I met him in a rose garden." replied Sarah as her eyes began to sparkle brightly.

"The next thing we knew he had us filling out a form and .. .. " continued Harm with a smile.

"A priest was there to marry us." blushed Sarah.

"And you got married?" asked a surprised Trish.

"Yes, we did." beamed Sarah. It had been the happiest day of her life when she married Harm.

"You had only met Harm the day before?" now Trish was in a state of shock.

She couldn't believe anyone would marry someone after knowing them for just one day. She knew Harm was a man every woman fell in love with, he did look like his father, but to marry him after only one day. She didn't quite believe it was possible.

"Yes Ma'am." smiled Sarah.

"Why Sarah?" a perplexed Trish asked.

"When I was growing up, whenever I saw my uncle I would tell him that some day I was going to marry the man of my dreams. He would ask me how I would know who that man would be.

I told him that I would meet him in a rose garden. He would be dress in white with something shiny on his chest. He would be very tall and handsome." smiled a very happy Sarah.

"And you met Harm in a rose garden?" asked Trish.

"Yes, It was in the White House Rose Garden. Harm was in his dress whites and gold wings. When we met he looked deeply into my eyes. It felt like he was looking for my soul. Harm had to be the man I was destine to marry." smile Sarah.

"Wow! That an incredible story Sarah. Though I'm still a little surprise. Harm usually doesn't make that kind of decision very quickly." smile a pleased Frank.

"He's usually very slow and deliberate."

"Normally you're right Frank, but we were on a mission to retrieve the document. Sarah seemed to be okay with it, so I went ahead and married her." smile Harm.

"But you're still married Harm. I would have thought that if you only married Sarah because of the mission, then you would have had the marriage annulled after you got back." asked an even more confused Trish. None of this was making any sense to her.

"It wasn't what Sarah wanted, but she believes in her marriage vows to me. And besides she's a very special lady. In the month that we have been together I think she knows me better than anyone I've ever known. She takes good care of me.

She makes me a better person. She completes me. I've never been happier in my life." Harm smiled warmly as he took her hand and looked deeply into her beautiful brown eyes.

"He does the same for me. He knows me so well. He has gotten me to open up to him like I've never done before with anyone else. I thought being a marine and a lawyer was all I needed in my life,

but Harm has made me see that loving someone and being loved was more important. I'm really very happy being with Harm. I never knew one could be this happy." smiled Sarah as she returned Harm's gaze.

"But you've only been together for a month. How can you really know each other very well. Wait till you have your first big fight." smiled Trish.

"Oh, we've already had one. And of course I lost, but we were able to talk about it." smiled Harm.

"And it has made us stronger. It kept us from dwelling on things that bother us. We deal with problems immediately. We don't let them fester." continued Sarah with a sweet smile.

"It has enabled us to work together as well as oppose each other in court. What is said in court stays there. We don't bring it home with us." continue Harm.

"We're able to separate it because we want to do our best for our clients. We know what is said in court only reflects the case and not our personal lives." smiled Sarah as she finished Harm's thought.

"That's incredible! It usually takes couples years to figure out what you two have in a month." exclaimed Trish.

"I find it incredible that you two can finish each other's sentences. It's like you're of one mind and body." laugh an amused Frank.

"Trish and I have been together for many years and we can't do that. Though I can usually tell when something is wrong."

"Yeah, I have to agree with you Frank. We do it with the Admiral a lot. It blows his mind away especially when we communicate without saying a word." laughed Sarah.

"The Admiral's yeoman has told us that the Admiral has asked him to hold all calls and appointments for an hour sometimes after we have filled him on some of the cases we work on." smiled Harm.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part six Looking for clarification**

"So does he know that the two of you are married? I didn't think married couples could work together." asked Frank.

"No, he's not aware that we're married. And we have no intention of telling him any time soon." answered Harm quickly.

"We really enjoy working together. We aren't ready to give that up yet. We are only getting to know each other." continued Sarah.

"We want to spend as much time together as possible." finished Harm.

"Are you two living together?" asked Trish curiously.

"Yes, and the Admiral does know about that, but we have convinced him that at the present time it is only temporary. We are going to be looking for a house to move into soon." answered a happy Sarah.

"How's that going to solve anything?" asked Frank a little confused. It didn't make any sense to him.

"We have a plan. If we buy a large enough house then we can tell him that we will be sharing a house together. We get more bang for the buck." smiled Harm.

"I don't like to cook so we only need one kitchen. Besides we work late at night together two or three times a week. This way we won't have to worry about going home late at night. We won't have to go to two separate places before we leave on trips." replied Sarah.

"We have enough reasons to convince the Admiral. I don't think it's going to be a problem." continued Harm.

"Well let me know when you find one. We want to help you out." requested Frank.

"That's not necessary Frank." argued Harm. He didn't want to be beholding to Frank.

"I know we don't have to Harm, but we want to. You know at some point we're going to die. At which point all the money your mother and I have is going to be yours some day. You're the only son we have.

I would like to see the money doing some good for you and Sarah while we're alive rather then after I'm dead." replied Frank sincerely.

"Okay Frank. You have a deal. When Sarah and I find something we like we'll let you know." smiled Harm.

It was difficult for him to accept anything from Frank, but he knew Frank deserved to be treated with respect by him. After all he had taken good care of his mother over the years.

"Thank you Harm." replied a happy Frank.

"Harm, why don't you take Sarah for a walk along the beach. When you get back, dinner will be ready." Trish directed.

"Sounds like a good idea Mom." replied Harm as he took Sarah's hand.

They walked down to the beach and walk along the edge of the water for a couple of miles. After awhile Sarah stopped and turned to Harm. She reached up and gave him a kiss.

"What was that for?" asked Harm.

"For saying all those wonderful things about me to your mother. It made me feel really good to hear you say them." Sarah responded with tears in her eyes.

Harm reached over to wipe the tears away.

"It's very easy to do Sarah. You are very special to me." smiled Harm as he took her into his arms.

"Thank you Harm. I never knew I could be so happy. And it's all because of you." replied Sarah as she rested her head on his chest.

It was so hard for her to contain her joy being there with Harm. Her life had been filled with so much pain growing up. Her mother had left her when she was fifteen with an abusive alcoholic for a father who didn't know a kind word ever existed.

"I think your uncle had something to do with that Sarah. He was the one who married us." replied Harm.

"I know Harm, but you didn't have to marry me. He would have given us the document." replied Sarah.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you ninja girl. All I want to do is make you happy." declared Harm.

They finished their walk and went back to the house. They had a quiet dinner with Trish and Frank before returning to the base.

Two months later Harm took Sarah for a little ride. They stopped in front of a slightly run down house. It was set a hundred feet back from the street. It had a wrap around porch in front, on the right side, and the back. It was three stories high. It also sat on three acres of land.

"Why are we stopping here Harm?" asked Sarah quizzically.

"We need a new place to live that is big enough and has potential." replied Harm with a smile.

"But why here? It looks so run down." wailed Sarah.

"It's really not that bad Sarah. It has twelve rooms, a wrap around porch, four baths, and a large yard." replied Harm.

"But why would we need a house this big?" asked a puzzled Sarah

.

"For all the kids we're going to have Sarah." chuckled Harm as he took her hand in his.

"You want to have kids with me Harm?" sighed Sarah happily.

"Of course Sarah, more than anything in the world. I want to give you the family that we didn't have. One with two loving parents and kids who have brothers and sisters." smiled Harm.

"I don't know if I can do that. I don't know what that kind of family is like." replied a worried Sarah.

"We'll find out together Sarah. And I know that you can do it." replied Harm as he gave her a small kiss.

"You think so Harm. Let's take a look inside." replied a contented Sarah.

"Your wish is my command." chuckled Harm as he got out of the car.

They went inside and took a look around. They found a large eat in kitchen, a formal dining room, two smaller room that they could use as an offices, and a large family room. There was a fireplace in the dining room and the family room.

Upstairs they found a three small bedrooms, two medium size bedrooms, and a master bedroom with it's own bathroom. There was also a small sewing room off to the side.

"You're right. It is pretty nice on the inside." commented Sarah.

"It only needs a little work. I can have someone come over and do the work before we move in." replied Harm.

"Are you sure that's what you want? Are you sure you wouldn't rather do it yourself." asked a surprised Sarah.

"Yes, I'm sure. It would take too long for me to do it all myself. With Frank helping out with the purchase of the house we can hire someone to get it all done in a few of weeks." smiled Harm.

"What are we going to do with all these rooms?" asked a bewildered Sarah.

"Well we have a nice eat in kitchen where we can eat most of our meals. A formal dining room with a nice fireplace for when we entertain for formal occasions with family, friends, or clients.

We have a large family room with a fireplace at one end we can use for entertaining them. The two small rooms we can use for our offices." replied Harm.

"Ok, what about upstairs?" asked Sarah.

"Well we'll keep the master bedroom and have the smaller bedrooms for the children. And the larger bedrooms for our guests." smiled Harm.

"Oh is that right? You expect to knock me up that many times." laughed Sarah.

"Only if that is what you want Sarah. The only thing I know is they all will be perfect." smiled Harm sincerely as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you Harm." replied Sarah as kissed Harm passionately.

The following week Frank and Trish came out from La Jolla to check out the house. They were quite impress. Frank offered Harm half the amount as a down payment to keep the monthly payments reasonable.

"Frank you don't have to do this." wailed Harm. He didn't want Frank to feel obligated.

"Someday Harm all my money will be yours when I die. I have no one else to leave it to. I would like to give some of it to you now so I can see you enjoy it." replied Frank.

A few weeks later they closed on the house. Harm hired a contractor to come in to do the remodeling for them. Sarah picked out all the color schemes. They moved everything over from Harm's place.

A week later they reported to the Admiral that they had found a new place to live. The Admiral raised an eyebrow when he heard this. He was quite surprise. What was going on between these two?

"Let me make sure I heard you right. The two of you bought a house together?" asked a very confused Admiral.

What was going on? Didn't they understand the concept of 'the appearance of fraternization' he wondered.

"Yes Sir. It's a very large house Sir. There is plenty of room for both of us." replied Harm.

"Didn't I say something to you about not getting to close?" asked the Admiral.

"Yes Sir, you did, but since we work together late on cases several times a week and sometimes on the weekends, it only made sense to us that we live close to each other." replied Harm.

"But why in the same house?" asked the Admiral as he felt a nasty head ache coming on. Why couldn't they be like everyone else?

"There aren't that many reasonable price apartments to rent in the city. Harm's place is in a bad neighborhood. When Harm saw the listing for a large house with lots of rooms and a large yard at the price they were offering it at. We had to check it out. We couldn't afford to pass on it." reasoned Sarah.

"Alright, alright you make it all seem like a logical solution to me. I don't know what the SecNav is going to say about it, but I'll think of something if he asks." replied the Admiral as he shook his head in wonderment.

"Why should he care Sir?" asked Harm curiously.

"I don't know why, it's just something he does. Things that you or I may find unimportant he does. Dismiss." bellowed the Admiral.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 7 phone home**

1130 hours

April 1999

Sarah's office

Sarah had just returned from court. She was getting ready to go to lunch with Harm when Harriet came running into her office looking for her. She had a weird constipated look on her face. Something must be wrong thought Sarah.

"What is it Harriet? You look like your cat just died." commented Sarah with amusement.

"Ma'am, there is a telephone call for you, a Father Genaro. He's calling from a hospice in California." replied Harriet.

"Thank you Harriet. I'll take it in my office." replied Sarah. Sarah shook her head in disbelief. She wondered how Harriet had ever become an officer. She was as ditzy as they come.

"Hello, this is Major Sarah MacKenzie." greeted Sarah as she answered the telephone.

"Hello, my name is Father Genaro. I run a hospice here in California for people dying of cancer. Do you have a father name Joseph MacKenzie who served in the marines?" asked Father Genaro.

"I did at one time, but I don't know if he's living or dead. And to be quite honest ... I don't care." replied Sarah angrily.

"Well your father is here. He's dying. I don't think he's going to live much longer. I have sent a letter to your mother, but I haven't heard back from her." replied Father Genaro as he tried to convince Sarah to come.

"You don't know him like I do Father. He abused my mother until she left. He made my last few years in high school a living hell. I hate him and don't want to ever see him again." responded Sarah with anger.

"Please come Ms MacKenzie. You both need closure." begged Father Genaro.

"I'll think about it Father. But I can't guarantee you anything." conceded Sarah.

1230 hours

Olive Garden

An hour later Harm and Sarah were eating lunch at the Olive Garden. They had ordered a pizza for lunch, half meat lovers, half vegetarian. They were eating a salad while they waited for the pizza to come. Sarah seemed to be very quiet. Harm was a bit concerned.

"What is it honey? You're awful quiet." asked Harm.

"I got a phone call from a Father Genaro earlier today." replied Sarah.

"What did he want?" asked Harm curiously.

"He called to tell me my father is dying. He said I should come and see him before he dies. He said we both need closure." replied an upset Sarah.

"I think he's right Sarah. You've overcome so much in your life. Now it's time to put to rest all the demons you've held onto for so many years." counseled Harm.

"I don't know Harm. I've spent the last seventeen years hating him for what he did. He destroyed our family." wailed Sarah.

"I know sweetie, but it's time to put it to rest. It's time to face him so you can feel good about yourself." consoled Harm.

"Okay Harm. I'll tell the Admiral that I need to take leave." replied Sarah.

"I'll be right there with you." responded Harm.

1330 hours

Admiral's office

When they got back from lunch Sarah went in to see the Admiral. She needed to take leave for a week to deal with her father dying. She knocked on the door and entered when directed.

"What can I do for you Major? asked the Admiral who was surprised to see her.

"I need to take leave Sir. My father is dying. They don't expect him to last the week." replied Sarah.

"I'm sorry to hear that Major. Permission to take leave is granted." responded the Admiral as he considered how Sarah must be hurting.

"Don't feel sorry for me Sir, it's not necessary. He was a bastard and deserves to die. He abused my mother until she left. I got left behind to suffer the brunt of his abuse afterwards. The sooner the bastard dies the better this world will be Sir." replied an angry marine.

"My apologies Major. You're dismiss." replied an embarrassed Admiral.

1500 hours

Admiral's office

Later that afternoon Harm went in to see the Admiral. Harm didn't want Sarah to deal with her father dying alone. He knew how upset she was. He wanted to be there for her. He wanted to help her deal with her anger and grief that was sure to follow.

He knocked on the Admiral's door. He entered when direct to.

"What is it Commander?" asked the Admiral wondering what Rabb wanted.

"Sir, I need to take leave for week." replied Harm.

"Request denied. The Major is taking leave this week and I'm short handed. I need you here." responded the Admiral.

"Please Sir. The reason I need leave is to go with the Major. She is very angry and upset with her father. She didn't want to go, but I convinced her it was necessary for her to go. She needs closure.

She also needs someone to be there for her. She may be angry now, but she may feel differently after her father is finally gone." argued Harm passionately.

"And that would be you Commander?" asked the Admiral as he already knew the answer.

"Yes Sir. She has been there for me many times over the last few years. I need to be there for her in return." pleaded Harm.

"Request for leave granted." sighed the Admiral shaking his head. Once again he had a headache after dealing with Rabb.

1000 hours

Hospice

Harm and Sarah flew out to California the next morning. They rented a car to take them to the hospice. When they arrived at the hospice Harm dropped her off before going to hotel to unpack their belongings.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you Sarah." asked Harm.

"No, why don't you take everything to the hotel and get things settled. I need to do this alone." replied Sarah as he noticed how tired she looked.

"Okay Sarah. I meet you back here in a couple of hours to take you to lunch." sighed Harm knowing she was right about taking care of the little one.

Sarah went into the hospice to see her father. When she found his room she went in. She saw that he was sleeping. Father Genaro happened to come by and saw Sarah sitting there with her father. He decided to joined her.

"He seems to be sleeping peacefully." Sarah commented.

"I'm sorry to say he isn't sleeping. He went into a coma early this morning." replied the Father.

"What!" shouted Sarah angrily. "How can I get closure with the bastard when that miserable excuse of a man is in a coma."

"We can by talking about what he told me the last couple of weeks while he was here. He wanted to apologize to you and your mother for mistreating you and his poor behavior.

He also showed me these clippings he had of you that he had saved. He was very proud of you, of your accomplishments, and that you overcame his abuse." Father Genaro told Sarah.

"That only happens because of my uncle and the love of a good man." replied Sarah. "I wouldn't have been able to do any of it without Harm."

"He was really sorry Sarah. He was later diagnose with being clinically depress for a long time. Particularly when you and your mother were living with him. He was too proud to ask or seek help.

Clinical depression wasn't understood very well back then. It was still a new field. He had been undergoing treatments for it the last ten years." the Father told Sarah.

"I didn't know. All I know was he caused us so much pain." replied Sarah. "I'll never forgive him for that." said Sarah as she left her father's room to go outside and get some fresh air.

She ran into someone she hadn't seen in a long, long time. She couldn't believe who she saw standing there, it was her mother. To say she was shock was an understatement.

"Mom, are you really here? Is it really you?" asked a stunned Sarah.

"Yes sweetie, it's me. When the padre called me about your father dying I told him I couldn't care less that he was dying. I hoped he went straight to Hell.

But then I thought about it. What if you had decided to come here? I had to come just in case you did. I couldn't take the chance of not seeing you. I've missed you so much Sarah." replied her mother Deanne with tears in her eyes.

"I've missed you too Mom. I thought I would never see you again." wailed Sarah as tears began to form in her eyes as well.

"I'm so sorry I left you behind. It never was my intention to do so. You were at your friend's house for your fifteenth birthday. Your father came home drunk and madder then usual.

He beat me up worse then he ever did before. When he fell asleep I left as quickly as I could. I was so scared." confessed Deanne.

"I know Mom, I know." replied Sarah.

"So how are you doing Sarah? I can see even in your uniform that you are very beautiful." commented Deanne.

"I'm a Major in the marines Mom. And no it's not because of dad, it's because Uncle Matt help me so much after high school." replied Sarah.

"What do you do? Are you married?" asked Deanne.

"I'm a lawyer in Washington DC. And yes, I'm married to the most wonderful man in the whole world." replied Sarah as she heard Harm walking up the sidewalk.

"Mom, I would like you to meet Harmon Rabb Jr., my husband and my partner at JAG. He's a lawyer too." continued Sarah. "He's in the Navy."

"Good morning Mrs. MacKenzie." greeted Harm as he shook her hand.

"Hello Harm. And please call me Deanne. Where did you meet him Sarah or can I guess where?" asked Deanne smiling.

"Do you really remember where Mom?" asked Sarah a little surprise.

"Of course I do sweetie, you only talked about it everyday of your life since you were three. I could never forget that sweetie. You use to say, Mommy, someday I'm going to meet the man of my dreams.

I'll walk into a rose garden and he will walk up to me and look deep into my eyes as though he was looking into my soul. He will be very tall with dark brown hair and have a great smile. He would be dress in white with something shiny on his chest." chuckled Deanne as she looked at Sarah and then Harm.

She saw the flyboy grin that Harm was so famous for.

"I met him in the White House Rose Garden. He walked up to me with the Admiral. When I offered him my hand to shake, all he could do was look into my eyes." smiled Sarah.

"So when did you get married Sarah?" asked Deanne.

"The next day." giggled Sarah as Harm winced.

"What! How's that possible Sarah?" asked a stunned Deanne.

She couldn't believe either one of them would get married that quickly. She knew Sarah wouldn't trust men that well after years of her father's abuse.

"Our first case together was to Red Rock Mesa. You know, where Uncle Matt used to take me to look for dinosaur tracks. Well Uncle Matt had stolen a very important document. I was expected go in and find him and get it back from him.

We were waiting for him at the UFO sign. Since we got there after dark, he didn't come for us until the next morning. He found us sleeping together in the back of a pickup truck. He asked me what I was doing there.

I told him that Harm was my boyfriend and that we had been camping. I wanted to introduce him to Harm. He asked me where I met Harm. Next thing I know he had a priest there marrying us. And the rest they say is history. We've been married now for two and a half years now." finished Sarah.

"Have you been happy Sarah?" asked Deanne.

"Yes Mom, happier than I've ever been. I have a great career, the best husband in the world, and a beautiful little girl." smiled Sarah with joy.

"Is that who this little person you have with you Harm?" asked Deanne.

"Her name is Veronica. She's our daughter. She's a little over one year old." replied a grinning Harm.

"She so beautiful Sarah. She looks just like you, but with blue eyes." smiled Deanne happily.

"Thank you Mom. We love her so much. I'm so happy you're here to see her Mom." replied Sarah as she hugged her mother.

Sarah's father died the next day. It took a couple of days to arrange for him to be buried. During this time Sarah spent more time with her mother as they got to know each other again. Harm suggested to Sarah that they invite her mother back to DC for a visit.

"Mom, please come back with us for a visit. We have plenty of room. It will give you the opportunity to spend more time getting to know Veronica." pleaded Sarah.

"Are you sure Sarah? I don't want to inconvenience you. I don't want to wear out my welcome." replied Deanne.

"I finally have you back in my life after seventeen years Mom. I've missed you so much. We need to bond again Mom. I want you to know your granddaughter. I want you in my life." replied Sarah.

"Okay Sarah I will.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 8 The visitation**

May 1999

Rabb Residence

Sarah had convinced her mother to come home with them. When they had arrived at the house Deanne stood there in awe at how large it was. She knew that she wouldn't be putting them out them by staying with them for a little while.

They went inside the house to get settled in. They put her stuff in one of the guest bedrooms. Sarah showed her mother around the house before dinner. She was surprise at the number of rooms in the house. It was the perfect place to raise a family.

After dinner Deanne found some albums filled with pictures. She started looking through one of them while Harm and Sarah were putting little Veronica to bed. She came across one with Harm and Sarah having a good time.

But she was surprised to see Sarah in Navy whites. She thought Sarah was in the marines. She had been married to a marine for over twenty years. She was pretty sure they never wore white. Why was Sarah dressed in whites?

When Harm and Sarah came down the stairs and into the room, they saw Deanne looking through an album. She seemed to be enjoying herself.

"What are you looking at Mom?" asked Sarah.

"I was looking at this album of you and Harm, but I'm a little confused." replied Deanne.

"What are you confused about Mom?" asked Sarah curiously.

"Well you told me that you first met Harm a few years ago, but in this album Harm is much younger and you're wearing a navy uniform." replied a puzzled Deanne.

Sarah went over and looked at the album. She realized that this album was one of Harm's, just after he graduated from the academy. The woman who was with him was Diane Schonke, not her.

"That's not me in the picture Mom. Those are pictures of Harm after he graduated from the academy. He was with his girlfriend, Diane Schonke." replied Sarah understanding the confusion.

Deanne's face went white as a ghost as she realized who she was seeing.

"What's wrong Mom?" asked a concerned Sarah.

"You knew Diane?" asked Deanne.

"No, I didn't know her. What I do know about her, Harm told me." replied Sarah.

"Where is she now?" asked Deanne. Sarah was a little worried now.

"She's dead Deanne. She was killed a year before I met Sarah." replied Harm.

"Mom, what's wrong?" asked Sarah worriedly.

"I never told you this. Your father would never let me. Diane was your sister. She was born a few years before you, but your father didn't want a baby girl. He forced me to give her up.

When you were born, he wanted me to give you up too, but I wouldn't. That's when he started to become angry and distant. That's when he started drinking. He only wanted to have boys." sobbed Deanne as she held her hands over her face.

"Diane was my sister. Why didn't you tell me I had a sister?" wailed Sarah.

"Your father told me not too. He told me he would kill me if I did. And you know how bad he was. I just couldn't. There wasn't anything you could have done." wailed Deanne.

"I understand Mom. I know it wasn't your fault, but I always wanted a sister." cried Sarah.

"I know sweetie, but you know it wasn't possible." responded Deanne hugging Sarah.

"How did you know about Diane, Deanne?" asked Harm.

"I went through a private adoption agency. I was able to keep track of how she was doing and who she was. It helped me sleep at night knowing that a loving couple adopted her." replied Deanne.

"You're right, the Shonke's were very good people. They always wanted a little girl. They loved her very much. Diane was a very special lady." replied Harm.

"How well did you know her?" asked Deanne.

"We were academy sweethearts. We went our separate ways after the academy, but we kept in touch. She helped me recover from my injuries and self doubts after I crashed my tomcat in a ramp strike eight years ago.

The weekend she died, we were going to go away to discussed our future together. I was devastated for a long time until I met Sarah." replied Harm.

"So you loved both my girls?" asked Deanne. This surprised her greatly.

"Yes, I guess I did, but what was amazing, even though they looked like twins, their personalities were so different. And as much as I loved Diane, I love Sarah even that much more. I can't even imagine my life without Sarah." replied Harm emotionally.

For the three of them there was closure now. Deanne had wondered what had happen to Diane. Sarah had wanted a sister. And Harm had always wonder why Sarah and Diane looked so much alike.

1300 hours

2 Sept 2002

Labor day party

Rabb Residence

Harm and Sarah had finally decided it was time to come clean with the JAG staff. It was time to let them know they were married. Harm and Sarah figured everyone would be totally shocked when they were told the truth.

Harm figured the easiest way to tell them, was to invite them all to a party at their house and let the events of the day unfold naturally. They invited the JAG staff and their families, their neighbors, and finally their own family.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with this Sarah? Telling everyone that we're married is going to change everything at work. We might not be able to work together anymore." commented Harm.

"Yeah, I'm sure Harm. I'm tire of hiding our relationship. I'm proud to be married to you and I want everyone to know." replied Sarah.

"I can't believe that no one ever figured out that we're married." smiled Harm.

"Especially Harriet and Carolyn. They both have been after me to get involve with you for a long time." giggled Sarah.

"Why is that?" asked Harm.

"They see the way we look at each other. We had to be in love. Therefore we should be together." laughed Sarah.

"Yeah those two are quite a pair. They will be the two most shocked people of everyone." replied Harm.

"So who did you invite to the party?" asked Harm.

"I invited the staff and our neighbors along with our family and special friends." smiled Sarah.

"Does that mean Keeter is coming?" asked Harm with a smile.

"Yes Harm, along with Tom Boone and a few other people you flew with." Sarah sweetly smiled.

Trish and Frank were the first ones to arrive with Tom Boone. Deanne was already there taking care of the girls. Bud and Harriet were the next to arrive. They always seemed to arrive earlier than everyone else. The question was why? Nobody knew the answer to that.

Bud was ordered to stay away from the food until everyone was ready to eat. He also wasn't allowed to eat anything that would stain his clothes. He had a nasty habit of spilling food on himself at JAG functions.

It wasn't long before everybody had arrived. Keeter sought out Carolyn after his initial visit with Harm. He was a ladies man after all, he needed to work his magic as soon as possible. And Carolyn was a beautiful woman ...

Harm had the propane gas grill going. He was going to grill some steaks, center loin pork chops, boneless chicken breasts, hamburgers, and hotdogs. The Admiral volunteered to help cook. All the men were standing around the grill talking sports and drinking beer.

They were all quite impressed with the house and the yard. The house was large with a wrapped around porch that everyone liked. There were eight or nine gardens around the house and throughout the yard that had every imaginable flower possible.

But everyone was surprise to see that every garden had some roses in them. The roses were all different sizes and colors. A lot of hard work must have gone into maintaining these gardens. They couldn't imagine who would have the time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **_**When First We Meet**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Sarah

Spoiler: We the People, Heroes, Second Sight,

Summary: Harm and Mac get trapped in a lie. Can they survive the consequences?

Disclaimer: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_Author's note: I have always believed that one can find a way to put Harm and Mac together as in being married. _

**part 9 The truth be told **

While the men were outside talking, the women went on a tour of the house. They were all quite impress with how many rooms and baths there were. The house was beautiful.

They all wondered who lived here as it was Deanne who was giving them the tour. They weren't aware that she was Sarah's mother.

Outside all the children were running around playing in the yard. There was a swing set along with a sandbox. There were many different balls and other games for the children to play, all twenty of them.

1400 hours

While Harm and the Admiral were grilling the meat Mac grab a few of the women to help her take out the cold dishes of food they were going to eat with the meat.

There was quite a variety of food, potato salad, macaroni salad, pasta salad, coleslaw, and regular salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber, for everyone along with several types of chips and dips. Everyone helped themselves to what they wanted. Many of them came back for seconds and even thirds.

After the meal was over and the kids washed their hands before going back to playing. The adults gathered around on the large porch with drinks in hand.

There was Bud, Harriet, Carolyn, Matonnie and his wife, AJ, Keeter, Kate, Trish, Frank, Deanne, Grandma Sarah, Tom Boone, and some of their neighbors.

Trish was sitting there with the baby, Victoria. Sarah was in the center of the gathering with Harm off to the side talking with Keeter. They were all having a good time talking when Sarah thought it was time.

"So tell me Harriet, what is the pool you have running these days?" asked Sarah with a smile.

"What do you mean Ma'am?" asked a shocked Harriet. How did Sarah know about the pool she and Jason were running. She had been very discreet. It must have been Jason that screwed things up.

"Come on now Harriet, I know you have a pool going. I've seen you leaving money with Jason and a list of people's names who have given you money." replied Sarah.

"Do I need to ask Jason about it?" asked Sarah threatened with a smile.

"No Ma'am." replied Harriet quickly. She wondered how she was going to explain this without getting her six reamed out.

"The pool we have going is about you and the Commander. It about when the two of you were going to start dating Ma'am." replied a nervous Harriet. Please don't killed me she said to herself.

"Now why in the world would you have such a pool about when Harm and I would start dating Harriet?" asked a smug Sarah.

"You love each other. We can tell by the way you look at each other and talk to each other. We think you two belong together. We want you two to be happy." replied Harriet.

"Who's we Harriet? And what makes you think that Harm and I aren't already happy with our relationship? What makes you think we don't like our relationship the way it is?" asked Sarah curiously.

"All the people at JAG who love you Ma'am. You seem to fight a lot when you're unhappy. We can see that you love the Commander. He loves you." replied Harriet hoping she wasn't going to get chewed out.

"But why Harriet?" asked Sarah more determinately.

"We want you to have what Bud and I have. A good marriage and children Ma'am. You're so good with little AJ. You would make a good mother." Harriet replied.

Trish and Deanne sat back in their chairs shaking their heads and laughed. They couldn't believe that Harriet didn't know that Harm and Sarah were already married and had two children of their own. It was fun watching Sarah play her little game with Harriet.

"What makes you think I don't already have that Harriet?" asked Sarah.

"What?" asked a confused Harriet.

"I said what makes you think I don't already have that?" asked Sarah with a smile.

"I don't understand Ma'am." replied Harriet.

Sarah shook her head in disbelief.

"Harriet, why do you think I have been wearing this ring. I've worn it since the day I started working here six years ago." explained Sarah.

"You said it was to keep undesirables like Commander Brumby away Ma'am." replied Harriet.

"That's true Harriet, but I also told you that I was married. Harriet, I have been happily married now for many years. Why would I want to start dating someone to fulfill some fantasy of yours?" asked Sarah now concern for Harriet's mental well being.

"I just wanted you to be happy like Bud and me. Loving each other and our child." replied Harriet.

"But I'm already happy Harriet." replied Sarah as a young girl came running up to Sarah and jumped into her lap.

Harriet was surprised to see this. She appeared to look a lot like Sarah.

"Mommy, can I have some ice cream?" asked the little girl.

"Why don't you tell everyone who you are and how old you are first." replied Sarah.

Harriet was speechless. The little girl had called Sarah mommy.

"Hi everyone! My name is Veronica. I am four years old. And this is my mommy!" beamed the little girl as she waved to everyone.

"She ... she ... is your daughter?" stuttered Harriet.

"Yes, she's my little girl. She's the oldest." smiled Sarah.

"You have more then one child?" asked Harriet.

"Of course Harriet. I didn't like being an only child, her father didn't like being an only child either, so we didn't want Veronica to be one. She has a little sister name Victoria. She's sleeping in her grandmother's lap." smiled Sarah.

Harriet sat there stunned along with everyone else who was there. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. When did Sarah have a couple of children? None of them had ever seen her pregnant.

"When did this happen Sarah? I don't ever remember you being pregnant." asked Carolyn who took over for a speechless Harriet.

"That's because I was usually away on an assignment from JAG when I began to show." smiled Sarah.

"Who's the father?" asked Carolyn.

By this time Veronica was getting antsy. She had come to her mother and had asked very nicely about having some ice cream. She had even perform for it by telling everyone her name and how old she was. It was time.

"Mom ... can I have some ice cream?" asked Veronica as she began to whine.

"Go ask your father to get you some." smiled Sarah as she gave her little girl a hug and a kiss.

They all watch with curiosity to see whom she went to. They watched Veronica get down from Sarah's lap and head off. They all smiled when Veronica jumped into Harm's lap and said "Daddy! Daddy! Mommy said for you to get me some ice cream."

Harm smiled as he stood up. He hugged his little girl and gave her an Archie Bunker special raspberry kiss. He then took her inside for some ice cream.

Everybody's jaw dropped. Here everybody had wondered when Harm and Sarah would see the light that they were in love with each other and do something about it. It had never occurred to any of them that they had already realized it and had done something about it.

"You two are married?" asked a stunned Carolyn.

"Why wasn't I informed Colonel?" asked the Admiral.

"When did you two get married? asked Kate.

"Of course we're married. You didn't think we didn't realized we love each other before you did. Except for the Admiral, none of you were here when we met. Bud arrived the same day I did." Sarah began to explain.

"I did tell you Harriet about how they looked at each other the first day they met." chirped in Bud.

"As you all are well aware of, Harm and I met in a rose garden. Harm looked deeply into my eyes as though he was looking into my soul. He said he knew me.

On our first mission together he wanted to be my lover. I woke up in his arms after the first night we spent together." Sarah continued to explain.

"You woke up in his arms?" asked Loren in disbelief. She shook her head in disbelief.

"When did this happen?" asked the Admiral.

"Well ... first we had to get away from Webb and Bud." replied Harm as he returned. He wanted to be part of the revelation.

"I rented this old ratty pickup truck with a bed in it. We had signaled her uncle, but he didn't respond. So we spent the night in the truck sleeping. When Sarah fell asleep I pulled her into my arms to hold her while she slept." smiled Harm.

"You told me I crawled into your arms." huffed Sarah.

"I wasn't taking any chances. I figured you probably would, but I didn't want to chance it. I wanted you to believe it was your idea." smiled Harm.

"Anyway my uncle found us together. I told him Harm was my boyfriend. At first he was disgusted that I would be involved with a sailor. He was ready to disowned me when he found out Harm was a pilot.

He said all pilots should be fixed, have their jaws wired shut, and finally have a lobotomy. They shouldn't be allow anywhere around women. When I reminded him that he was a pilot too, he just shrugged and laughed.

He asked me where I found my sailor. I told him I found him in a rose garden. He had a priest there within the hour and we were married." smiled Sarah.

Everybody had been listening quietly to Sarah's story. They couldn't believe it when they realized that Harm and Sarah met on a Wednesday and were married the next day on a Thursday. It just blew their minds.

"Let me understand this. I introduced you to Rabb after he received his first Distinguish Flying Cross in the White House Rose Garden. I tell you both not to get involve because you have to work together. And you got married anyways the next day." asked a befuddled Admiral.

"Yes Sir. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. After all Sir, I was wearing a ring on my hand when we returned. You did noticed it." replied Sarah.

"So why did your uncle have a priest marry you after you said you met Harm in a rose garden?" asked Kate.

"Mom, do you want to tell them?" asked Sarah.

"Okay sweetie." replied Deanne as everyone whispered in disbelief "Sweetie?" That was one term no one at JAG had ever associated with Sarah, the kick ass no nonsense marine.

"Ever since Sarah was a little girl around three years old she had this dream. She dreamt that she would meet this tall dark good looking man in a white uniform in a rose garden. There would be something shiny on his chest.

Her uncle use to tease her all the time that she was going to marry the good humor man because of her affinity for ice cream. She could never seem to get enough ice cream." smiled Deanne.

Everyone smiled as they remembered Sarah's little girl jumping into her lap asking for ice cream.

"Sarah used to tell us all the time about her dream man. So when her uncle asked Sarah where she met her sailor, he had an idea it was in a rose garden. He wanted to make sure Sarah would be happy. So he made sure by having them get married. He always wanted to be there when she got married." finished Deanne.

"Thank you mom." replied Sarah.

Everyone else said "Wow!"

"So you both have been married all this time. It must have been amusing whenever Harriet tried to get you together with Harm." smiled Carolyn.

"Actually it was getting pretty annoying considering how much effort it was for Harm and I to get Bud and Harriet together in the first place. It seem like every time we thought they were on the right track, Bud would say something stupid and Harriet would get upset with him and not speak to him for a week." smiled Sarah.

"So whose house is this anyway?" asked Loren.

"Looking around the yard at all the gardens, I would think it's obvious who the house belongs to." replied Keeter. There were still a few who didn't quite grasp the obvious. Amongst them was Jason.

"Who?" asked Jason.

"All the gardens have roses in them. They met in a rose garden." commented Webb as he shook his head in disbelief that they were all so obtuse.

"You mean it's the Commander and the Colonel's house?" asked Harriet in amazement.

"Yes." replied the Admiral.

"What I want to know is who gets the pool money?" asked Jason.

"I think Harm and Sarah should get it." replied Kate. "After all they fooled you for six years. They deserved it."

"I agree." said the Admiral.

"They even had me fool. I thought I knew them pretty well." smile the Admiral.

"They played you all like a cat with a mouse and some cheese. They gave you a little something to tease you with and then pulled it away." smiled Kate.

__

**The End**


End file.
